


Stay

by mandaree1



Category: 101 Dalmatian Street (Cartoon)
Genre: AKA rlly relatable pooch, Adopted by a human, Dolly supporting Dylan, Dylan being a paranoid wreck of a dalmatian, Grain-free treats, Owner uses they/them prnouns, That's my hc and I'm sticking to it, Twilight Bark is more like nine one one, Worldwide Woof is the dog cellphone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-31
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-07-28 01:22:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20055730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mandaree1/pseuds/mandaree1
Summary: Deepak got himself a human. Dylan is.... not taking it well.





	Stay

"Duuuudddeeeee," Dolly moaned as she dragged herself onto the windowsill next to Dylan. It was open, sprinkling the air with flavors of grass and dew. "It's literally two in the morning. Give it a rest."

Dylan _did_ stop howling, but only to thrust his nose against hers, eyes wide. "Exactly! It's two in the morning and he's awake! We gotta pick him up ASA-"

"You've been Worldwide Woof-ing him since ten!" She hooked an arm around his neck and pulled him close. Hugging Dylan was always a bit awkward, his perky ears poking Dolly directly in the eyeballs, but she ignored it. "Look, Dyl. You're tired. If you wanna keep this meltdown train a-chuggin', you're gonna need a few zzz's first. Come to bed."

"But-"

"We'll go see Deepak in the morning, okay?"

"It's _not_ okay!" he snapped. "Those- those _humans_ can't take care of him like we can. How's he going to sleep without his mantras? What if they don't get him his special kibble? WHAT IF THEY GET A CAT?"

"Bed," said Dolly, unimpressed. "Now."

What Dolly lacks in tact, she more than makes up for in stubbornness. Dylan hardly seems to blink before he's off the windowsill and being nudged upstairs. He did his best to fight her, but let's face it- having a passion for the stars didn't exactly gift him loads of extra muscle, and Dolly never sat still long enough to be anything _but_. "This is a hostage situation. You are literally taking me hostage right now."

"Don't give me that kind of power right now," she advised. "I'm more than ready to duct tape your muzzle shut. Do you know how hard it is to listen to a sea of puppies who can't sleep because _someone_ is howling their fool heart out?"

"At least I care!"

Dolly stomped on his paw and kept right on moving.

It took Dolly, Dawkins, and a confused (but ever-so-happy to snuggle) Diesel to keep Dylan down long enough for a nap; and, even then, he didn't get much rest. Every second was another second Deepak was all alone in that house, so far from their own, and he just knew something bad would happen. He had a list of things, actually! Burglaries, fleas, fires, water damage- it went on and on, and Dylan, torn between exhaustion and paranoia, couldn't remember which he had or hadn't put down, repeating them all without comprehension.

Dylan blinks and it's morning. Dolly has her head out the window now, using the Worldwide Woof to her advantage, and despite his wrecked state he still has it in him to complain about it. "Oh, _I see_. It's fine when _you_ do it."

Dolly hops down and kicks him. "C'mon. We're going for walkies."

"Can't you and Dawkins take the pups to the-"

"No." She grabbed one of his ears in her teeth and tugged, making him perk up. "_You n'me_ are going for walkies. Not the pups."

Dylan blinked at her. "Why?"

"I told you we'd visit, didn't I? Get off your butt and let's go."

It's like flipping a switch. Dylan hardly pauses to shake off his bed-fur before he's springing out the door, Dolly keeping up behind him. He wonders, belatedly, if Dolly had warned Dawkins, but shrugs it off. His brother knows his habits by now, knows this is exactly the kind of reassurance he needs, and he's smart enough to put two and two together.

Deepak isn't hard to find. His new owner (Dylan shuddered just thinking the word) was sitting comfortably on a bench near the fountain, tossing birdseed to the ground. Deepak himself was comfortably laying on the stone, chewing on a treat of his own.

"Oh, thank Dog," Dylan breathed. "You're okay."

"Told ya'," Dolly rebuffed.

Deepak looked up. "Oh. Hello!" He held the treat up. "Want a bite? It's grain-free."

He circled the puppy, nose going wild. "Doesn't that leash feel uncomfortable?"

"Not really. They don't tug on it like Snowball's owner does, and when I get bored it works as a toy!"

"But isn't it demeaning?" Dylan asked. Quick as lightning, he whipped around and thrust his paw into Dolly's face. "Don't you_ dare_ make the pun!"

Deepak awkwardly pushed the treat away. "What's wrong, Dylan? Your auras are so... misaligned."

"It's just... you know." He waved a paw at the bird-feeding creature. "You've got a human now."

"I thought you liked humans?"

"I don't _hate_ them," he replied. "But you're a dog, Deepak. Not a... a _pet_."

Dolly jabbed her elbow into his side. "Lay off, Dyl."

The damage was done. Deepak's ears fell. "Am I... not a dog anymore?"

"Nah, dude, you're totally a dog!" She bumped noses with him in an attempt to make the sting fade. "You know how Dylan gets when things are out of his control."

He nodded and stood up to touch paws with his older brother. "I know it's not exactly... kosher," Deepak said. "But I'm happy this way. I can meditate in peace, and when things get too loud, I have an escape. The food is pretty good, too!" The puppy fixed him a searching look. "I know it's not what you expected, but... I hope you can learn to accept?"

"I..." Dylan opened and closed his mouth. "I, uh..."

As if sensing the tension, Deepak's human finally stood. Deepak grimly grabbed his treat, nodded a somber farewell, and followed them as they walked out of Dylan's life for yet another unforeseeable amount of time.

Dylan slumped to the sidewalk. "He really doesn't need me anymore, does he?"

Dolly crept up beside him. "I need you. Dawkins need you. Mom and pops need you too."

"But that's different," he bemoaned. "You guys can take care of yourselves."

"Well, so can Deepak."

"Yeah."

"I'm gettin' the vibe that did the exact opposite of helping."

"_Yeaaah_." Dylan sighed and leaned on Dolly, mostly just to be a bit extra dramatic. He knew, with time, he could accept this. He'd accepted so much more, at much higher stakes. He'd accepted Doug and Dolly and all her half of the family. This was nothing. But it still hurt _now_, which is what mattered most. "How many more puppies are we gonna lose, Dolly?"

"A good pawful, I reckon."

"Where'd we go wrong?"

"I mean, if we're passing blame around, mum and dad _did_ make us top dogs." Dolly shrugged. "Listen, man. It's our job to make them happy. And if they're happy totting around leashes, it's kind of our job to _let them._"

"But what if they aren't happy? What if-"

"Dude, addresses change all the time. I'm American-born, okay? I know that feel." A rough paw through his fur made Dylan laugh in spite of himself. "Moving here was the best thing that happened to me. It might be the best thing that ever happens to Deepak. And, if it isn't, he's a quick speed-walk from the house. It's_ fine_."

The Dalmatian found himself becoming more at ease. It was the same kind of platitudes he'd given himself the night prior- Dylan never skimped on a list, good or bad- but it felt _much_ nicer for someone else to say them. It made it more real.

His mass turned to jelly as he tried not to fall asleep in the park. "Uuuugggghhhhh, I hate it when you're right."

"Truly, you _are_ the victim here," she said, and rolled her eyes.

"I know, right?"

Dolly shoved him. "I sacrificed a good night's sleep for your butt, dude! Least you could do is say thanks!"

"I thank you for nothing!" Dylan stuck out his tongue, then reconsidered. "Maybe... if you carry me home?"

"Absolutely not."

"I'm emotionally exhausted, Dolly!"

"You think I'm_ not_?" Dolly scoffed and stepped aside. "See if I don't give all your moonrocks to Diesel."

Dylan instantly took off after her. "Noooo! He always tries to eat them!"

**Author's Note:**

> Banged this out in one night, for the most part! For darkmasterofcupcakes!
> 
> -Mandaree1


End file.
